Featured Videographer – Jessen

Nov 22, 2011

Today we are going to have a cool talk with Jessen, founder of  Jessen Extraordinary Studio (JXSOnline). For those who don’t know him, he is an amazing wedding videographer from Malaysia. His unique style of video and cinematography makes the results is always on point. Check out the interview for some behind the scene talk.

 

So, our first Featured Videographer is Jessen

Website: www.jxsonline.com

Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/jxs

1) Introduce us about yourself and the background of your works

Well, actually I’m not full time in videography. I work as an IT Manager in a factory and only have time during the weekend. As you can see, my profile is not as rich as other full time videographers out there. I’d say 3 shootings in a month is considered very heavy job already. It was all started with hobby and interest. My first camcorder was Sony camcorder. Then few years later I bought the Sony VX2100 and started my very first shooting on 1 November 2008. Then 6 months later I invested the Panasonic DVX102b and entry level stabilizer called Flycam 5000. I produced quite a lot of wedding video with these 2 equipments for the past 2 years.

2) Can you share us your biggest masterpiece that you are proud of and some description about your artworks?

My biggest masterpiece, it is still in progress. I’d say it will be my biggest challenge in my Helicam assignment. I took it off from the Balcony at 10th floor. Flying Nose In to shoot the groom walking out from the room to the Balcony. The clip will be ready by next week I think. So maybe you can post this after the clip is released.

Johann & Gaik Peng Pre-wedding from jxstudio on Vimeo.

3) Share us your collection of video equipments that you have now

Camera
Canon 5D mk2, Canon 550d, Panasonic DVX102b (for speech recording)

Lenses
50mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 50mmf1.2, 17-40mm, 16-35, 100mm, 70-200f2.8, 11-16mm

Support Equipments
All Manfrontto tripods, heads and monopods, Glidecam, Flycam, Minicam, Kessler crane, Proam crane, Provista Dolly, Swift Dolly System, Glidetrack slider, Easy slider, 36ft dolly track, Skater, Spider on Car mounting kit, underwater housing, etc

Audio
Rode Stereo mic, Rode video mic, Rode NTG1, Zoom H1, Sennheiser wireless G2,

4) Share us in the detail of your helicam (your setup, experience)

Trex 600e, Raptor 60, Photoship pro. The training journey was pain. The pilot not only need to control the full channels heli but also need to control the camera movement. A pilot can fly well in heli doesn’t mean it he can fly well in helicam. Because, what you see is not what heli sees in the air.

5) What is your opinion about this industry (wedding cinematography) in Malaysia.

Passion comes first. Only passion can push me beyond the limit. Many people telling me the same thing, how could you manage so many things where you only have 2 hands? Setting up a crane take me 10 minutes and the shot is only less than 2 seconds. And the next question they will ask is, do you think it is worth it? I’d say, no matter how much time you spend on the setup, if you can capture an amazing shot even for just 1 second, it’s worth it. Don’t see the rewards too seriously. Nowadays, we are not only doing this for our client to see, it is for our competitor to see and most importantly, it is for yourself to see.

6) What is your advice to the newcomer in this industry?

Same as above, the sense of creativity is something money can’t buy. If videographer isn’t creative enough, he or she will be very hard to lead the market, he or she will only become the follower but they will not fail. The most important thing is the passion. It will determine the success or failure.

7) Lastly, what is your hope for the future of this industry?

I hope more and more people will know how to appreciate the wedding cinematography. I believe there are many people still have an impression in their mind where an old man holding a giant camcorder with spotlight. Many of them still do not know the existence of wedding cinematography. Usually it is too late when they discovered it as their wedding is over.